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Source: http://www.thevindicator.com/news/ar...9bb2963f4.html
Never kiss a kissing bug
Posted: Thursday, March 14, 2013 1:37 pm
COLLEGE STATION ? One look at the kissing bug and kissing would be the last thought most folks would have, but even touching one can sometimes have dire consequences, said a vector-borne disease expert with Texas A&M University who is leading a study and asking for the public?s help to determine the insect pests? current range in the southern U.S.
The study team includes Dr. Sarah Hamer, study leader and an assistant professor along with doctoral student Rachel Curtis, both with the department of veterinary integrative biosciences; Dr. Gabriel Hamer, department of entomology faculty member; and Dr. Karen Snowden, department of veterinary pathobiology, all at Texas A&M University...
...Hamer warns never to touch a kissing bug with a bare hand, because the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease in humans and dogs, may be present within the bug and its feces. And she said, even if the bug is not carrying the parasite, a bite can cause an allergic reaction in some individuals similar to bites from other insects.
?If you see a bug that you believe is a kissing bug and you would like confirmation of the species identity and to submit it for testing, our lab will accept carefully-obtained samples for research purposes,? she said.
To submit a sample, Hamer advised using a glove or small plastic bag to catch the insect while avoiding direct contact. Store the bug in a sealed plastic bag, in a vial, or other small container. All surfaces the bug touched should then be thoroughly cleaned...
...Hamer said Curtis is the primary contact at the Texas A&M lab for the public regarding questions about Chagas disease or inquiries about where to direct kissing bug sample submissions. She can be contacted at rcurtis@cvm.tamu.edu or 979-458-4924.
?For our research, it is very important for us to know the time and date the bug was collected and exactly where the bug was found and what it was doing: flying, walking or some other activity,? Hamer said...
Never kiss a kissing bug
Posted: Thursday, March 14, 2013 1:37 pm
COLLEGE STATION ? One look at the kissing bug and kissing would be the last thought most folks would have, but even touching one can sometimes have dire consequences, said a vector-borne disease expert with Texas A&M University who is leading a study and asking for the public?s help to determine the insect pests? current range in the southern U.S.
The study team includes Dr. Sarah Hamer, study leader and an assistant professor along with doctoral student Rachel Curtis, both with the department of veterinary integrative biosciences; Dr. Gabriel Hamer, department of entomology faculty member; and Dr. Karen Snowden, department of veterinary pathobiology, all at Texas A&M University...
...Hamer warns never to touch a kissing bug with a bare hand, because the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease in humans and dogs, may be present within the bug and its feces. And she said, even if the bug is not carrying the parasite, a bite can cause an allergic reaction in some individuals similar to bites from other insects.
?If you see a bug that you believe is a kissing bug and you would like confirmation of the species identity and to submit it for testing, our lab will accept carefully-obtained samples for research purposes,? she said.
To submit a sample, Hamer advised using a glove or small plastic bag to catch the insect while avoiding direct contact. Store the bug in a sealed plastic bag, in a vial, or other small container. All surfaces the bug touched should then be thoroughly cleaned...
...Hamer said Curtis is the primary contact at the Texas A&M lab for the public regarding questions about Chagas disease or inquiries about where to direct kissing bug sample submissions. She can be contacted at rcurtis@cvm.tamu.edu or 979-458-4924.
?For our research, it is very important for us to know the time and date the bug was collected and exactly where the bug was found and what it was doing: flying, walking or some other activity,? Hamer said...